Sara Wickström awarded the Körber Prize in Hamburg City Hall; one million euros prize for European science
The hidden senses of cells: Sara Wickström awarded the Körber Prize | Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine
Film about the 2026 Körber Prize winner: Sara Wickström and the hidden senses of cells New film by the Körber Foundation features MPI researcher Sara Wickström and her discoveries in nuclear mechanobiology A new film by the Körber Stiftung profiles Sara Wickström, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Münster, who is this year’s recipient of the Körber Prize for European Science. In the six-minute feature ‘The Hidden Senses of Cells’, the Finnish cell biologist explains how cells perceive physical forces such as pressure and tension and translate them into their genetic material – a mechanism that Wickström, as a co-founder of nuclear mechanobiology, has played a key role in unravelling. The award ceremony will take place on 18 September 2026 in the Great Hall of Hamburg City Hall. The film will be screened during the ceremony. Sara Wickström – 2026 Körber Prize winner: The hidden senses of cells The Finnish physician and cell biologist Sara Wickström has been awarded the Körber Prize for European Science, which carries a prize of one million euros. She discovered a previously unknown mechanism by which cells perceive their environment: cells ‘sense’ physical forces such as pressure or tension and can incorporate them into their genetic material. This means that individual genes can be switched on or off solely through physical stimulation – a crucial factor in how a cell develops or how tissue heals after injury. As such, Wickström is regarded as one of the pioneers of nuclear mechanobiology, which investigates the influence of physical forces on cells. In the long term, her research may contribute to the development of new treatments for cancer, organ scarring and other, often age-related, diseases. The award, which comes with a prize of 1 million euros – one of the most highly endowed science prizes in Europe – will be presented to Wickström on 18 September 2026 at the Hamburg Science Summit in Hamburg City Hall. Her research opens up new avenues for the treatment of cancer, organ scarring and age-related diseases. The film is available in the Media of the Körber-Stiftung. The Körber-Stiftung provides further background information on the award in its article Sara Wickström awarded the Körber Prize 2026.